MiBiz announces winners, finalists of inaugural CFO of the Year Awards

If the stories of the winners and finalists of the inaugural West Michigan CFO of the Year Awards are any indication, local companies are poised to take advantage of growth opportunities as the region’s economy continues to improve.

The awards and educational event on Tuesday, June 11 at the Goei Center in Grand Rapids — presented by MiBiz in cooperation with the local chapter of Financial Executives International (FEI) — was created to recognize exceptional finance executives from the region, but more importantly to have them share their best practices and discuss what keeps them up at night.

Chances are if it’s worrying them, you may want to pay attention as well.

The four winners and four finalists selected for the awards demonstrated an acute eye for fiscal discipline, according to the judges. Their behind-the-scenes actions didn’t just help their companies survive the dark days of the recession — they laid the groundwork for their firms to operate from a position of strength.

The award winners were selected by a judging panel that included senior finance executives from the corporate, public accounting, consulting and academic worlds. The four winners, by category, are: Judy Brown, Perrigo Company, in the corporation category ($500 million plus in annual revenues); John Pindred, Family Christian Stores, in the middle market category ($50 million to $500 million); Kraig Harper, Service Express International Inc., in the small business category (less than $50 million); Michael Freed, Spectrum Health, in the government/nonprofit category.